Plum Danger
by schaefy
Summary: Steph has made up with Morelli but he get's angry after a misunderstanding about Ranger. Steph doesn't talk to anyone for a few days. So why is Ranger so worried about her? Could something be incredibly wrong? Please read and review! schaefy. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

A movement beside me stole me from sleep, and Ranger threw an arm over my stomach, his hand loosely cupping my breast. He pulled me close and tucked my head under his chin. I relaxed into him, feeling his hard muscles soften as he breathed in the scent of my hair.

"A man could get used to this." He whispered into my hair, his fingertip drawing small circles on the bare stomach below my tank top. I smiled and snuggled closer, enjoying his absolutely perfect body. Then O stiffened. Shit, I just made up with Morelli two weeks ago. Now I'm sleeping in Rangers bed.

"Shit." Ranger gave me the full 200 watts. I'd said that out loud?

"It's always worth it just to see you having a guilt attack over Morelli."

I gave him my best burg glare, rolled off the bed and showered. The jets of water made rivulets down my body and I indulged in Rangers shower gel. Well what's a girl to do? He smells so damn good! I pulled a towel around myself and walked through to the bedroom to get dressed. Ranger was reclining on the bed, fully dressed, waiting for me. His eyes darkened and he rolled off the bed and caught me by my towel. It slipped down as he pulled me close, breathing in the scent of my neck.

"Oops." He said, running a string of kisses along my jaw line. Fire shot down south and I started feeling hot despite my wet hair. He kissed me full on the lips and I gripped the front of his jacket, pressing myself into all the strategic places. Then the doorbell rang. Ranger paused for a second, then continued kissing the swell of breast above my towel. My fingers were tangled in his hair, feeling pleasantly relaxed.

"Ranger." I said quietly, still feeling dazed.

"Mmmm." He was still kissing my neck.

"Ranger, Ella's at the door."

"Mmmm." I rolled my eyes, pulled away from him and gathered my towel around myself again. The corners of his lips tipped up and his eyes teased me.

"Babe." I rolled my eyes again and he chuckled as her turned out of the room to get breakfast. I took the brief pause to pull on a pair of soccer shorts, a tank top and one of Rangers sweatshirts. Style to the max.

I'd ended up at Ranger's apartment after a distraction job ran very late … and a minor disagreement with the skip which ended up with his dinner down my dress. So here I am. By the time I'd gotten dressed and pulled my hair into a half-assed ponytail, Ranger was standing by the counter eating a bagel with assorted green stuff in the middle. The tray next to him was piled with more green stuff, bagels and cream cheese. Ew. Ranger looked as if he wished he could roll his eyes at my face. He settled for a hint of a smile.

"I think there's still peanut butter in the cupboard from last time."

I grabbed it and we ate breakfast in silence, I for once being engrossed in my thoughts as much as Ranger.

I had to pick up two skips today or I'd be homeless next month. Also if I wanted to eat a meal that wasn't mooched off someone else. And have the pleasure of a phone line, various appliances and running water. Possibly just enough motivation.

When we'd finished I grabbed my clothes and bag and was just about to walk out the door when I felt a presence at my back. His hand leant on the back of my neck. He swung me around and leaned into me against the wall.

"Going so soon Babe?"

He kissed my neck, moved along my hair line and finally claimed my lips. Fire sped downwards as our tongues touched. Then the bastard pulled away.

"Bastard."

He gave me the full 200 watts and gently pushed me out the door with him.

"I have a meeting in ten minutes I can't miss."

I gave him a sly smile, batted my eyelashes and dodged away laughing as Ranger reached for me again. One point for Steph.

0 0 0

I drove across Trenton to check on my first skip, Marg Hodgeson, charged with nicking two packets of Twisties and a bottle of coke. Hardly worth going to jail for. I knew Marg; she was the mother of Mary Hodgeson, who had been a year above me at school. Mary had been a perfect reflection of Marg except younger. She was quiet and individual but an intelligent student. Always kind to everything. Never swore.

Marg lived in a small townhouse on the edge of the Burg and was renowned for her oatmeal cookies and fairy bread. Yep, fairy bread. Hard to think of any variations but she had done it, and hers was a favourite of children around the Burg.

I parked my new Landrover in front of her house and walked up to the front door. Marg was definitely not dangerous so I didn't feel the need to be overcautious. She answered on the first knock.

"Stephanie Plum! You were in the paper a few weeks ago! You're the one who-"

Mental eye roll.

"Whatever it was, it wasn't my fault." It was getting old fast.

She smiled a whatever-you-say-dear smile.

"Well what can I do for you then dear?"

"You missed your court date last week and I need to take you to the courthouse to get rescheduled."

"Oh deary, I needn't think we should bother the judge about that. It was just a little borrowing until I came back with the money later. I say we just forget it happened and went after bigger and better things."

She smiled that teacher's I-know-better-than-you smile which I had been constantly irritated by through the entirety of my schooling years.

"If you'll just come with me we'll be done within an hour."

I couldn't convince her that the judge was not going to let the case go so I opted for the quick return approach. She looked sufficiently torn.

"Do you promise? The lawn bowls start at eleven and I always like to have fresh cake while watching."

Uh... "Sure. Home in an hour."

But true to my word we were back in an hour and I had a large portion of coffee cake still hot from the oven. Yum. And if I hurried I could get my second skip before lunch and take the afternoon off. I grinned to myself, turned up the old creaky air con in my Landrover and sped down the motorway toward Hamilton Township.

My second skip was Marty Higgs, 27, who had a foot fetish. Yup, feet. He regularly hung around public pools, beaches, anywhere with bare feet in sight. Occasionally on a rainy day he would be spotted peeping through kitchen windows at feet. And he would eventually end up FTA. Because that's the way it was. Like how the sun rises every morning, and Oreo's without milk make you fat. Apart from feet, Marty did have one other love in his life. Cake. And because he spent all of his time watching someone else's warts he had no money to buy any. Great for me, sucky for him.

I pulled up in front of his house and set Marg's coffee cake and three other's I had picked up on the way over on the dash. After a few seconds Marty came out, locked the door and plonked himself down on the passenger seat. Peachy.

By the time he'd finished all his cakes he had been rebounded and set free and I was six hundred bucks richer. I drove to Vinnie's with my hair flying in the wind from the open sunroof. Rent and bills were paid and enough money left over for groceries. Life just doesn't get much better than this.

I sailed into the office and Connie stared as I breezed over.

"Crap. Either Batman spent the night or Morelli's working overtime."

I just grinned wider, and handed her the checks.

"Or you just got rent money."

"One of the three."

Connie looked like she was sorely tempted to ask whether I'd done it with the Wizard but I rolled my eyes and she set about writing my check looking slightly disappointed. Just then Lula walked din holding Pino's subs and spaghetti. I stared. She was pink. Her hair, still Shirley Temple style, was a mass of lurid colour while her pink glittery playboy shirt stretched to an unnatural level over her basketball breasts, along with a barely visible pair of pink, shiny leather shorts and knee high leather platform boots. Lula looked puzzled for a second then she turned on the spot, giving me a new appreciation of small shorts. I shuddered slightly.

"Whadya think girl? Got it done this morning. I bought a new wardrobe on account of my fashion stylist says match colour with colour."

I had a new view of the subject. I swallowed.

"Looks great." I forced out and took the bags out of her hands, hoping to distract myself. We spread the food over Connie's desk and by one o clock my jeans were feeling uncomfortably tight. Shit.

I said goodbye to Connie and Lula and drove my Landrover back to my building. I paused a minute then pulled out of the lot again.

Lula answered on the third ring.

"Hey girlfriend."

"Hey. You want to see Blood Weapons with me? There'll be popcorn."

"And slushee's?"

"And slushee's."

"See you there in ten."

0 0 0

It was nine o clock before I got back to my apartment; we'd ended up seeing three movies then having dinner. When I pulled into my lost and to my surprise saw Morelli's truck. It was Wednesday night which usually meant guy night at Pino's with Mooch and Tony.

I took the lift to my floor and the door opened before I'd reached for my key. Morelli stood blocking the doorway, blank cop face in place. He was radiating anger. He took my hand, pulled me inside and turned to face me, cop face gone.

"Where were you last night?" His voice was carefully controlled, just below shouting but it was taking all his control to stop it cracking.

"I was doing a distraction job for Ranger."

I was trying to remain cool, calm and collected; but Morelli's anger was erratic. I hadn't done anything wrong but now he was angrier than I had ever seen him.

"And after? You didn't come back to my place after. You didn't come back to your apartment after."

His hands were clenched on the back of a kitchen chair, so hard that he was leaving marks on the soft wood.

"I…"

He cut me off.

"You stayed with him didn't you." It wasn't a question. His voice was now quiet, his angering simmering, silencing him.

"Yes but-"

"You slept with him didn't you?"

"No, of course- "

"Don't lie!" He was yelling now, his muscles clenched so hard they were shaking in protest. "You were seen leaving Rangeman by one of the force. They've put two and two together. They have a pool on when you'll dump me for him."

"Joe, I swear I haven't-"

"Don't waste your breath." He growled angrily and pulled me to the living room, next to the couch.

"They can't respect me when I look like a fool because of you."

"Joe please!-"

I was desperate, tears pouring down my face in fear and frustration. He paused for a moment, an almost tender expression on his face, and wiped away a tear, his finger trailing across my cheek, lingering. And he kissed me. He pushed me down to the floor and was still kissing me fiercely when I heard a clink and cold steel against my wrists. He pulled away slightly, his face still close to mine and looked me straight in the eye.

"Goodbye Stephanie."

And he walked out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

I panicked. Fuck! What the hell was I supposed to do? My hands were cuffed to the couch leg which in turn was newly bolted to the floor. Bastard. I lay back in the darkness of my still apartment. Screaming wouldn't help. The seniors would have their hearing aids out by now and all through the day their televisions were blaring at unnatural levels. I was screwed. My chance of rescue was if someone broke down the door. Or picked it! If Ranger came he could unlock the cuffs! But when would he come? I chewed my lip and thought some more. He hadn't made a midnight visit that I had known of since I had last made up with Morelli. Two weeks ago. No telling when he would come again. I lay there, the darkness pressing close around me for what seemed like hours until tiredness claimed me and I drifted off, curled uncomfortably with the cuffs biting into my wrists.

I woke next morning to my phone ringing. The ringing stretched on forever, as if it knew I couldn't reach my only lifeline. The answering machine fielded the call.

"Babe, FTA sighted in New York – I'm flying out in ten minutes. Be back in a couple of days. Call Tank if you need anything."

Click. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks. My last hope. I was struck with the reality of my predicament. I could die. I knew humans could last for about two weeks without food. But only 2 days without water. I had forty eight hours to live. Forty-eight hours. FORTY-EIGHT FUCKIN HOURS! I screamed. Death was staring me in the face and for once there was no way out. I was going to die. A slow and painful death.

I screamed again, wrenching my arms around, my hands catching in the cuffs causing sharp gashes and bruising around my wrists. But I didn't care. I lost it. I surrendered to the hysteria. I screamed and flailed and went mad. For hours I screamed and sobbed, kicking and thrashing until I lost my voice. Then I just dissolved into tears, silently sobbing out all the regrets in my life.

Why hadn't I told Ranger how I felt? Taken the time to appreciate the little things he did for me? He had always been there for me with whatever I needed. Cars, money, places to stay, protection, a shoulder to cry on… He had just gone through it with gritted teeth. For me. And why had I ever trusted Morelli? He has made a habit of waltzing into my life, completely destroying it, then disappearing again for multiple years. I had never learned. Not when I was six, sixteen and now twenty eight. More tears rolled down my cheeks, spilling every troubled thought, all the regrets, the sadness, the disappointment. I lay there on the floor as the light faded again, rocking myself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that this chapter includes a rape scene which may be distressing to some readers. You can either skip the entire chapter and miss the end scenes (important) or skip down to the break which says "The next morning, Ranger's POV". Thanks guys!

I woke to hear scratching at my door, a click and then it opening and closing again. The room was dark again, probably about ten o clock. That meant I had been cuffed for twenty four hours now. I wondered whether I was hallucinating. Then a slight sound to my left revealed a dark figure quietly slipping across the hall into the living room, a gun-shaped object in his hand. The figure saw me lying on the floor and flipped the light switch on.

"Omigod. What are you doing here?"

0 0 0

The man smiled evilly. It was Laurie Higgs, my FTA Marty's brother who had been listed on Marty's file.

"I might ask you the same question, poppet." He growled, nodding at the cuffs on my wrists. He smiled down at me coldly, his eyes cold as ice, anger and dominance simmering just below the surface. His gun was now pointing between my eyes. In complete contrast to Marty, Laurie was buff-man – his steroid induced muscles bulging everywhere. He was wearing a pair of loose black jeans, a stretchy white shirt and at least three gun bulges. I shivered. He meant business.

"You know why I'm here. You got Marty. I needed him tonight. Thanks to you we're going to loose millions of dollars. And its all. Your. Fault."

He paused between each word, his anger like a fire burning in his eyes. Cold. Desolate.

"He should be rebounded by now. Besides, how could you lose millions? It's not like you deal dope."

"He's skipped so many times they're keeping him in custody until his hearing next week. As for the dope, got it in one. We're the biggest dealers to hit the North. Can't shift the stuff in fast enough. Only Marty knows the password for tonight's drop-off. If we miss a drop-off our suppliers pull the plug. Millions in losses today, billions tomorrow."

My eyes bugged out of my head. Who would have thought. Marty Higgs – smart (or stupid depending on the way you look at it) enough to run a drug ring. God never ceases to amaze.

"So, bitch, I thought you might need a little punishment for your actions. Nice to see someone's decided to help with the job." He said nodding at my cuffed hands. He grabbed one of my ankles and shackled ti a table leg to my left, then the other leg to an armchair. He had shackled my legs apart. I was stretched so tightly that I could barely move. He grinned nastily again, revealing several gold teeth and took off his shirt.

"Thought as I needed to punish you that I would get to know you better first. Become a bit more friendly?"

He threw his gun aside and pulled a knife from its sheath on his lower back. Then he straddled me, still leering at me with those cold eyes. But all I could see was the silver blade moving closer and closer to my body. He laughed as he saw the fear in my eyes, grabbed my shirt and plunged the knife into my shirt, far enough to just nick the skin below. I cried out in pain and he cut the shirt down the front, leaving a thin cut down my chest and stomach. I tried to cry out again but could only manage a silent scream as he lent forward on top of me to kiss my neck and cut away the shirt sleeves.

"Thought that'd get your attention, poppet."

Even as I turned my face away I could still see his maniacal eyes, burned into my mind. Frightening. Scarring. Tears poured down my cheeks as he cut open the front of my bra, then my shorts and a final sob with my underwear. His clothes were gone now too, his hands everywhere, tugging and scratching, his mouth biting and snarling at my breasts and stomach. He was rubbing his hands along my limbs roughly, his mouth gently whispering in my ear exactly what he was going to do to me. For a moment he took his hand away from my arm and thrust his fingers deep inside me. I cried out in shock and horror and his grin only widened. He tugged and scratched inside me, roughly grabbing and pulling in equal measures. When he was finished, he pulled his hand out and entered me. I sobbed again, my face averted, staring straight into the couch, trying to forget the whole thing was happening, believe that it wasn't real. But his hand roughly grabbed my chin and forced my head to face him. I let out a small gasp and his grin widened, continuing into the night.

Sometime later he had finished and he pulled away from me, leaving me bloody and bruised from the encounter. His grin was now replaced with an expression of cold, hard anger. Efficient anger. He pulled his jeans back on and padded over to me, still barefoot and -chested, holding the knife in his hand. He knelt down beside me again, his eyes boring into me, robbing me of willpower, of strength.

"Now poppet, now is when you'll pay." He spoke slowly and steadily, but his anger leapt in his eyes as he slowly lowered the blade toward me. The cold steel touched my skin, and paused for a moment. Then bit into my body, quickly and quietly. My eyes rolled back in my head and I tried again to scream, this time succeeding, letting out a long bloodcurdling shriek which no one else would hear.

0 0 0

The Next Morning

Ranger's POV

I had found and escorted my skip to NYPD, collected my body receipt and has just landed in Trenton. Tank pulled up in my Porsche, got out, handed me the keys and got into the black SUV behind it.

I pulled out my phone and checked my messages. None from Steph. That was odd. Usually she would call me at some stage, wither to confirm she had heard I was away or for other reasons. I furrowed my brow and dialled Tank.

"No one heard from Steph?"

"Affirmative." I hung up and tapped the steering wheel with my hand, thinking. Then I put the Porsche in gear and drove toward Trenton.

I arrived at the bonds office half and hour later to find Connie and Lula chugging coffee and donuts.

"Steph been in lately?"

Both women looked me up and down, subconsciously fanned themselves and replied.

"She hasn't checked in for two days now. We were starting to get worried. She hasn't had any loonies on her case lately so maybe she just went up to Point Pleasant for a day or two."

This definitely wasn't like her. I nodded to them and drove back to Rangeman, thinking. I had a meeting from two until five but it would definitely be worth checking her apartment for clues as to where she was. Until then I would just have to hope she was ok.

0 0 0

I drove out of Rangeman at 5:12 and dialled Morelli on my phone.

"Morelli? Ranger. You seen Steph?"

"No I haven't fucking seen her. Since Wednesday fucking night. I broke up with her. And you know exactly why."

"Enlighten me."

"Your sleeping with her you bastard! And now you're back in town I intend to make you pay." His voice had become deadly quiet over the last few words.

"I haven't slept with her. Where did you last speak to her."

"Her apartment," his anger was dying now, replaced by tension and the beginnings of fear." Why? Haven't you heard from her?" Worry crept into his voice.

"Not since before Wednesday. You didn't happen to incarcerate her during the break up did you?"

"Cuffed her to the couch."

I hung up.

Oh Fuck.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: This scene contains adult themes and gore.

I floored the Porsche and shot through three consecutive red lights. She would have been there for two days now. Could she have survived? I screeched around Roosevelt onto Church Street, then turned left into her street.

Her apartment building stood there, looking just as it always had. Could it possibly contain a dead Steph? I shivered, shot out of the Porsche and hit the ground running. Tank could pick it up later, but that wasn't important at the moment. I sprinted through the front doors, past several senior citizens giving me scandalised looks and leapt up the stairs. I reached the second floor, ran out of the stairwell to her door. I paused for a second. What was behind the door? Did I want to know? My heart, for once, was beating double time, but the moment stretched on forever. Could I bear to see? My hand found the door knob. Locked. There were scratch marks and obvious impacts around the lock. Someone had got to her before me. I pulled the loaded Glock from its holster and flicked off the safety. Then I raised my boot and kicked down the door.

0 0 0

The door banged opened, smashing into the wall behind it. I took cover next to the doorframe and peered in. No one in the hall. I edged down the hall, watching and listening for assailants. The kitchen was clear. I peered into the living room. No one there. I walked through the bedroom and bathroom quickly then came back to the living room and flicked the lights on. I hadn't found her. So where was she?

I sensed a movement to my left and instinctively ducked behind the kitchen wall. I sneaked a look around it. What I saw took my breath away.

Steph was chained, naked, to the couch, now with her legs cuffed apart too. She was covered in blood and body fluids from various knife wounds and her face and arms were purple and black with severe bruising. Her right arm stuck out at a strange angle, and the areas around her wrists and ankles were purple and bloody from the cuffs.

Her eyes stared blankly back at me, unseeing, her head covered with blood from a wound on the sound. A paper thin scar now stretched diagonally across her eye. My breath caught in my throat as it constricted painfully. She was either dead or dying. Dying slowly.


	5. Chapter 5

We were at her funeral. Cars were parked four-thick on the closed roads around Trenton park, people spilling out of them dressed in black, some sobbing, all sombre. I stood with her family a little separated from everyone. My hand found its way to the handle of her casket, in a way, comforting. I gripped it hard, as if I was actually holding her hand for the last time. It was my only lifeline. My last chance, last link to her. Her smiling face beamed at me from a photo I had taken a few months ago. She was at Point Pleasant, her brown curls dancing around her shining joyous face, looking very tanned and her sparkling blue eyes full of life. She was beautiful.

The minister came over with Tank, Lester and Bobby who were dressed in simple black suits like mine, with a simple white daisy on their lapels. Tank placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. I nodded to him and the four of us grasped the handles of her casket.

"On three. One. Two. Three."

We lifted her onto our shoulders. It was time. I gripped the casket more tightly, white knuckled, as if it would stop her from floating away from me. The first step was the hardest. Wise men often said that a long journey begins with a single step. For once, it was a journey I didn't want to go on. Not without her. It was too hard, too empty of her smiling face. I stepped onward, then again, slowly making our way through Trenton Park. We were surrounded by grassy lawns and early spring flowers, tall trees lining the path in front of us.

The crowd followed behind us, sobs filling the air. Most of Trenton had turned out for the funeral, all having known Steph one way or another.

Finally, we reached the graveyard, and a small corner set aside, ringed with fresh grass and flowers, a fresh rectangular hole in the centre. A pale tombstone headed the area.

Stephanie 'Bombshell Bounty Hunter' Plum

The Bounty Hunter from Hell

Life has no limits she has not broken.

She will be loved forever.

She was lowered into the hole and the minister said a few meaningless words over her. The ceremony ended, but I stayed, sitting beside the grave. People spoke to me, but I ignored them. People tried to move me, but I stayed. Finally men cam to bury her.

It was dusk, and I was sitting next to the fresh patch of overturned dirt which marked her. She was gone. Forever. There was no way to reach her now. One moment she was there, she was alive, she was real. Then she was gone.

I just sat watching the light fade. A silent tear slide down my face. She was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: Some swearing and adult themes.

I jerked awake, white light shining into my eyes. Tank's hand was on my shoulder. I breathed a sigh of relief. It had all been a dream. I put my head in my hands and tried to rub the tiredness away. Then I straightened up and looked around. We were in the hospital, reclining on the couch of a room we had prodded the hospital staff into giving us, waiting for Steph to get out of surgery.

"You were twitching boss. Mumbling. Nightmare?"

I pressed my lips together and forced the issue from my mind.

"My worst. She was dead." I said simply.

Tank placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed as he had done in the dream and I could almost feel the tear in my dream, running down my cheek.

Steph had made it to hospital in fifteen minutes through the EMTs which had arrived minutes after I had called them. Tank, Bobby and Lester had arrived a few minutes after them with Morelli arriving just as we were leaving. He was rumpled, his hair unkempt, a five o clock shadow skimming his jaw line and his cloths creased and worn. His gun was rammed in his jeans and he was frantically pushing through the crowd. I was standing beside Steph as she was given emergency treatment for her various wounds and bruises and I saw Morelli forcing himself through the crowd. I walked forward and met Morelli with cold anger.

"You cuffed her there and left her to die. You're beyond words. I'm lost for fuckin' words. You want to see what you did to her. She probably won't make it out alive. And it's all because of you." Before I knew it I was yelling. I never yelled. Ever. My anger touched the sky on this one though. The entire room had gone quiet. I knew I was freaking scary when I was angry silently, but utterly terrifying when I was angry loudly.

I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him toward her. His face was taut with pain, the reality of his actions hitting him. He essentially, had killed her. The one he loved. For his jealousy. My anger was endless at him, for what he had done to Steph. He looked down at her crippled form and ran his hands through his hair looking around as if desperately for an escape from this nightmare. I pulled him to face me and growled at him.

"There's no escape from this one. You're going to have to live with it. For every Fuckin' Day. And every fuckin' night. That will be worse than every beating I could ever order on you. The knowledge. That it was all. Your. Fault."


	7. Chapter 7

A movement beside me pulled me from sleep and I quickly became aware of my surroundings, as always. No danger. I relaxed in the armchair. The vision of her lifeless face still rocked my dreams every night. Relief flooded through me as I opened my eyes. Her bedroom was just showing first light through the window, falling onto her short curly, brown hair and pale face. She was still battered from the ordeal, her arm in a cast, the stitches only just removed from many of her wounds. The scar across her eye was what bothered her most, many times throughout the day she would subconsciously touch it, and the look of scared vulnerability returned. It was all I could do to stop myself taking her in my arms and holding her until her fears left her forever. But she couldn't bear to touch me. She would shy from any contact, even at a passing brush in the hallway she would tense and shrink into herself. She was still scared. Still afraid.

I stayed close to her now whenever I could, watching over her. I helped her wherever I could, cooking and cleaning. Lately even getting dressed was difficult. I would come to check on her, and she would be sitting in the middle of piles of clothes, looking like a lost and lonely child. Her pain bit into my heart, more powerful than anything I had ever seen even through my army career. All the death and destruction, but nothing was worse than this. Seeing the person I loved so desolate and empty.

She often skipped meals and would just sit on the couch, staring at the blank wall, tense and twitching, her mind somewhere else. During nights she would cry out in her sleep, as if reliving the ordeal over and over again. Nor would she talk to me about it. When I mentioned it, she clammed up and just stared over my shoulder, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. If Tank knocked at the door to bring food or a doctor she would drop whatever she was doing and become hysterical, crying and thrashing, screaming until I came over and sat beside her. The fear in her eyes was the hardest thing. It was so real to her, to me. I just wanted to hold her until it all went away. But I couldn't. Once I reached for her, but as soon as my hand gently touched her she jerked and tensed more with renewed sobs. She'd curl up on the couch and sob, biting her finger to stop herself crying out. And there was nothing I could do.

I just sat next to her bed and watched her sleeping until the sun went up. Her eyes drifted open slowly sometime later and she curled herself tighter under the blanket and looked up at me. She looked at me wistfully, as if thinking of better times. She paused for a moment, then a hand extended out from under the blanket, waiting for me to grasp it. I slowly leaned forward and placed my hand face up beside hers. She tentatively held it, then relaxed into the bed, holding my hand tightly. It was the longest contact we'd had in three weeks.

Suddenly she was out of bed and curled on my lap, her head tucked under my chin, arms around my neck. Her face was buried in my chest, beyond tears. She just sat there, my arms around her, allowing me to hold and comfort her.

We sat there for what seemed like hours until she moved her head and buried it in the side of my neck, breathing in my scent.

"Breakfast?" she murmured quietly.

I let out a sigh of relief then smiled broadly. She had skipped so many meals lately that I was worried she would fade away in front of my eyes at times. She was pale and rail thin, her face hollowed. Just a shell. I picked her up in her soccer shorts and t-shirt and carried her out to the living room, then deposited her on the couch, wrapping a blanket around her.

"What would you like?"

"Waffles. With melted chocolate." She said smiling slightly, a small twinkle in her eye. I grinned, that's the girl I knew. I slid a disc into the sound system. Soft jazz music pulsed through the apartment and I relaxed, feeling the contentment which that sort of music always brought. I walked back to the kitchen and began pulling ingredients from the shelves to make homemade waffles. I was just pulling out the chocolate put when Steph wandered into the kitchen, one of my black sweatshirts pulled over her shirt. She plopped down on the kitchen chair and watched me measuring out the ingredients.

"Can you teach me how to make waffles?"

I grinned again, surprised.

"Are you sure Babe? I mean after waffles, who knows where you'll go. Roasts casseroles, desserts.. You'll ruin you reputation as a really crappy cook!"

She smiled weakly.

"I'll live. What's first?"


	8. Chapter 8

So that's the way it was for the next few days. I'd teach her to cook at each meal time in exchange for her to eat at least some of whatever we cooked. She poured herself into cooking, reading books and watching tv shows, ending up a decent cook. But she still would not talk about what had happened, or who had done it to her. I couldn't believe that her persistence in denial had survived her near death experience, that she could let the man who had done this to her live freely. All she said was that it wasn't Morelli.

My anger boiled over when ever I thought of him. He had cuffed her to her own couch and left her locked in her own apartment, knowing full well how unsafe it was. Every time I saw her hollow figure, it reminded me of her ever present internal suffering, which she would not reveal even to me. It was his fault. Steph had not yet blamed him for what had happened, whether she just had not thought of it or blamed herself I didn't know. I had thought of having the boys pay Morelli a visit many times, but each time, had concluded that his emotional suffering was far worse at the moment then any physical pain could ever be.

0 0 0

It was a week later, and Steph was gradually improving everyday, becoming more interested in everything from the music I put on each morning to what we were going to cook that day.

We were still in her apartment, but I knew that she would benefit far more from living in my Rangeman apartment. She would have more company and 24 hour service, I could resume more work and feel completely calm about her safety. I could only provide so much protection in her building.

I broke it to her while we were scrambling eggs the next morning.

"Babe I know you love this apartment and it means the world to you, but I think you should come and live at Rangeman again. You'd have 24 hour service, a gym, full protection from all loonies and Ella to cook with. We could move your stuff into it. And buy peanut butter."

I smiled slightly, but she looked at me again timidly.

:It doesn't have to be now or today. Just for you to think about."

She nodded and quietly turned to the eggs. It was a while before it was brought up again, but a few days later the spoke up.

"Ranger, I will come back to Rangeman with you. Tomorrow, ok?"

I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. She'd be safe there.

0 0 0

Steph's POV

Shortly before dinner, I was watching a hockey game when Ranger looked over from his computer.

"I need to talk to Tank quickly about a pickup tonight ok? I'll be back in ten minutes."

I gave him a small smile and he smiled back and walked out the door. As soon as it clicked closed I began to feel insecure again. _He_ would come back for me. I knew he would. I hadn't died and he was supposed to kill me. I pulled my gun out from its holster on my back and held it comfortingly beside me. Ten minutes past. Ok, I though, this isn't so bad. Maybe Laurie wouldn't come back. He wouldn't do the same person twice would he?

Just then I heard the door click open. My hand clenched on the gun.

"Ranger?"

"Sorry poppet, only me!"

My heart stopped. Cold fear cascaded through me. He was here. My mind went blank with shock. He was unmistakeable. His cold eyes shone in the darkening apartment as he stepped into the room, his teeth leering at me as they had dome last time. I half rose from the couch, than realised what was in my hand. I raised the gun and fired. I heard two shots go off, Then a searing pain on my right side. I looked down to see blood gushing from a small hole in my side where the bullet had gone clean through the edge of my belly. Higgs had fallen to one knee, clutching his shoulder and swearing. Then I came to my senses. RUN!

I grabbed the gym bag which I had packed in prospect of the move to Rangeman tomorrow, ran to my bedroom window and forced it open. I looked back for a second around my room. Rangers keys glinted up from the nightstand. A moments deliberation, then I grabbed them and sprinted down the fire escape and into Rangers Porsche, holding a shirt to the wound in my side. I rammed the key into the ignition, put the car into gear and turned out of the lot.

Then sped away into the night.


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: Infrequent swearing, adult themes.

Rangers POV

I suddenly came back down to earth, blackness surrounding me. My mind felt groggy and slow. I was lying on something hard and rough on my back, spreadeagled. My eyelids flickered and Tank swam into view.

"Wha happened?" Was that my voice? It was weak and soft, nothing like my own. I raised my hand to rub my face and felt something slightly wet on it. I forced my eyes open more and focused on my fingers. They were red with blood. I was coming around quicker now; I became aware of the pain on my head and arm, then as I tried to sit up, my stomach. I lay back down defeated as Tank looked worriedly down at me.

"EMTs are nearly here. You were beat up pretty bad. Shot to the arm, a few broken ribs and blow to the head far as I can tell. Lots of bruising around the midriff, probably kicks or blows with dull objects. Stay down."

My head whirled. What had happened? Where was I? Who had done it? What time was it? Why? Then it hit me. Where was Steph? I could make out the sunrise out of the corner of my eye. That meant she had spent the night on her own. Or had someone planned this. And taken her again?

Suddenly I gripped Tanks arm hard.

"Where's Steph." Tank started to look slightly guilty.

"Tank. Where is Steph."

"Gone."

"What the fuck do you mean gone? Where could she go? She hasn't left her apartment in weeks?-" My head started spinning again as I got angrier and tried to sit up. Tank pushed me gently down again looking worried.

"She took the Porsche. Security on the door read it had been breached but we thought it was just you coming back in. We only realised an hour or so ago that you two were missing. I came back to check this area and found you here. You were across from Steph's apartment in some bushes, I got you out and called the EMT's. We saw the Porsche being driven away from Trenton so we figured either Steph or whoever got into the apartment is driving it – probably with her in it. We've sent out cars to intercept but they won't reach her for another couple of hours – she must have driven through the night to get so far."

My head began to swim again. She was either running or kidnapped. But she was gone. My babe had gone in the wind, and I couldn't find her to protect her. If it was the guy who attacked her before she was in serious danger both sexually and physically. And for once there was nothing I could do about it this minute. I was not used to this. Usually I was the one running, and Steph was anxiously waiting. Now the roles were reversed I didn't like it. I felt so powerless, so weak. I could feel unshed tears forming behind my eyes and I seemed to detach a little bit. My head was shaking and I was murmuring 'No no no no no..' to myself under my breath. From what seemed like far away I saw a few EMT trucks pull up on the street and paramedics rushing toward me. Hands were pushing and prodding me, cutting my clothing off and applying pressure to my wounds. The blackness inched forward from the corners of my mind and I seemed to fall back inside myself. Then I floated away.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to put out, I had to re organise some of the sections into the correct order and rewrite them; and I had lots on lately! Sorry!

0 0 0

Steph's POV

A soft pink and orange light was just glowing above the horizon over the bonnet of the car. My hands had slackened against the steering wheel and my eyes were nearly closing every few seconds. I felt faint from tiredness, slightly detached from the world, as if I was half asleep and half awake. In between both worlds.

The clock on the dash read 5:03am. I had driven all night since about nine thirty last night. I had real idea of where I was going, just that I needed to run, to get away. From Ranger who wanted me to talk about it, from Morelli who had caused it, from Higgs who had done it. I just needed time alone. To figure out what was going on inside me. To run from Higgs.

I was driving Rangers Porsche which I knew was probably being tracked. I needed to either disable it, or dump the car and find a new one. I clenched the steering wheel harder, rain beginning to fleck the windscreen. I really didn't want to let it go… it connected me to Ranger, the one person who read me like a book, took care of me no matter what, didn't criticise or judge me, but just accepted me for who I was. And loved me for it. But the car was too easily spotted and tracked. I agonised over the problem for a few more minutes, then a phone rang. My phone. I extracted the phone from the gym bag on the passenger seat and laid it in my lap. Caller ID read Batman. It kept ringing for what seemed like hours, but was most probably only minutes. Finally I answered.

"Babe-"

"Leave me alone Ranger… I have to run… I need to just leave… to be alone. Just leave me alone! I can't.."

Sobs were causing my voice to break on every word.

"I .. I can't do it anymore. Just leave me alone! Just go!"

I was crying in earnest now, tears trickling down my cheeks; spilling all my worries and confusion, my inability to understand my new self, my sadness. I heard a whispered "Babe-" from the phone. Ranger's voice was full of restrained pain and desperation, as if he was feeling a little of the multitude of feelings swirling in my heart. The phone dropped to my lap again, Ranger still on the other end as I pulled over to the side of the highway, put my head on the steering wheel and gave way. The little self control I had was gone as I sobbed and sobbed, my mind feeling faint and unfocused.

Finally I swiped my eyes with my sleeve for the last time, took a deep breath and opened my eyes again. The phone was still lying in my lap and I realised, probably Ranger too. I quickly grabbed it and hung up. Almost immediately it began ringing again. Tears began to well behind my eyes again as I read the Caller ID. Batman. I clenched my teeth and disconnected the battery from the phone.

The rain continued to fall thickly on the windscreen, blurring all the brake lights to red patches in the early morning mist. I rubbed my eyes, trying to stay awake just a little longer. The highway stretched on in front of me into the distance, until a broken down petrol station loomed up on the edge. I coasted over to it and pulled in. It was a small falling down wooden building at the edge of the lot, two very broken looking bowsers and one not so broken bowser. But I was too exhausted to care. I pulled into a shady patch of grass beside the building and got out. So where to start? The obvious. I ducked down and checked the undercarriage. One tracking device. I checked the trunk. A lockable compartment no doubt containing weapons; and a tracking device. I checked under the bonnet. One tracking device. I sighed, gathered them all up in my arms and dumped them in a trash can next to the car. Then I sped off into the distance again, letting the road take me wherever it pleased.

0 0 0

It was late morning now and I was past exhaustion. My eyelids drooped and my head was spinning. I was travelling along a different highway now, cars surging and receding around me as the hours passed.

After a couple more hours the afternoon sun had dried the car, the sky still overcast and murky. I noticed a dirt road leading off the highway and turned into it. It was dark and muddy from the earlier rain, framed by tall green trees stretching the way around it. I followed the road for ten minutes, then as I turned a corner, saw a small sheltered clearing ahead. I parked the car between two trees, admiring dimly how the green dappled light shone on the car. Then my head collapsed onto the steering wheel and I passed out.

0 0 0

When I awoke, blackness was pressing in on all sides of the car and my forehead had a huge red welt from the wheel. I wiped a little drool from the side of my mouth then paused. Something wasn't right. My spidey sense was tingling so hard I was afraid it was going to make me shake. The tall trees I had vaguely noticed hours before waved their leaves in the light breeze, faint moonlight now dappling the car instead of sunlight. Darkness pressed into the car from all sides, I could just make out the shapes of trees and plants beside the car, but nothing else. I sat there, not moving as the minutes trickled by. There it was again. A movement beside the passenger window. Fear cascaded into my heart, paralysing me, mind blank. I panicked. Ok, my gun was in my apartment. But Ranger kept guns in his cars didn't he? I reached under the seat and pulled out a Glock automatic. Ok, I have a gun. It was loaded – twelve rounds in the chamber. Something moved beside the window again and I gripped the seat on either side, my fingernails biting into the soft leather.

My mind was blank with shock and fear, the cold reality of terror sliding into my stomach. Then a face appeared. His face. My eyes rolled in panic and my mind still utterly blank, paralysed in shock. Then the door opened beside me and he slid into the seat.

"Miss me poppet?"


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: Infrequent course language, adult themes.

Ranger's POV

It was late morning that day, and I was sitting up on a hospital bed dressed in black sweats and a black t-shirt, my various injuries bandaged. I had come out of surgery relatively quickly, only having my bullet wounds stitched and checked for other damage and internal bleeding in my head, chest and stomach. Everything was fine apart from facial and torso bruising, a couple of broken ribs, fractured skull, fractured cheek bone and a bullet hole in my upper left arm. If you can call that fine. I called it fucking pathetic.

Tank and Lester were running the search for Steph while Bobby and Hal stayed with me in case my attacker returned. I had my laptop with me, and was relaying orders to Tank via secure email and an hourly video link conversation. I pulled up the program and contracted Tank. He answered quickly, a grim look on his face.

"I was just about to call. Someone's disabled the GPS on your car."

"What? All of them? How?"

"They're not all that hard to find for an expert or someone with experience. We did find one that was still intact though. It's the tester pack from Ameritech. It's only a prototype and it glitched a while ago, so it only sends out signals every three hours. We got the last signal four minutes ago"

I sat there in stunned silence, my mind for once, utterly blank.

Oh Fuck.

0 0 0

I awoke late that night in the hospital bed, the shadows of Lester and Cal standing at the door falling onto my bed. I'd had my nightmare again. Except this time it began with me holding her tenderly in my arms, then her being ripped away from me, crying my name into the darkness for help.

Her sparkling blue eyes shone before me in the semi darkness, as if her face was right in front of me. I needed her. It was the first time I admitted it to myself. I needed her clumsiness, her laughter, her sarcasm and wit. I needed her happiness, ineptitude, her ability to reach into me farther than any other. But most of all I needed that look in her eye that told me she would love me unconditionally. I needed her tenderness, her fierce loyalty and trust. She was my everything. And she was gone.

For the first time in my life I knew what it was like to be loved. No matter what. It shocked me that she had consumed me so completely, opened every secret inside of me, and made me want to share them with her. Never before had I felt this way. Not to my parents, my brothers and sisters, nobody.

I stared at the small window set high into the wall, rolling painfully onto my side. The stars burned brightly in the velvety blue sky, as the waning moon cast a faint yellow glow over sleeping Trenton. I had stood with her and watched the night sky once, on top the Rangeman building. I had had my arms around her stomach as we faced the open sky. She had leant back, relaxing into me, back to my chest, head nestled into my neck. She had emanated calmness, not needing words to describe what she was feeling. We watched the moon rise together, and she whispered a poem to me from her childhood, her soft breath tickling my ear.

"Star light, star bright,

First star I see tonight,

I wish I may,

I wish I might,

Have this wish, I wish tonight."


	12. Chapter 12

Tank's POV

It was late afternoon the next day, and I was radioing all the teams on Steph patrol with her last known location, and directions as to their search area. Lester came up to me as I finished with Delta Team.

"New location just in. She's just hit Atlantic City. All of the search party's are well away from there. We could call then in for back up and take Ranger down there. They would probably arrive an hour after us if we left soon."

I nodded. Now that she had hit the city she was likely to stay overnight at least before moving on. This gave us twelve hours to find her.

"Grab Ranger some clothes and gear and get a team together. We'll take an SUV and the Bronco in case the attacker is there too. We leave in ten minutes."

I ran my hands through my buzz cut and picked up the radio again.

"Alpha Team – "

0 0 0

Ranger's POV

I was sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV for once, Tank driving. He had called for a police escort so we could clear the highway traffic and get into Atlantic city without being stopped by unfamiliar cops. Trenton PD were good about us, they turned a blind eye to any speeding or carrying concealed offences we committed, simply because (apart from deeming us necessary) they knew we would keep doing it if they did nick us.

But outside the Trenton region we were less known to the cops and tonight we couldn't risk being waylaid.

The Porsche had entered Atlantic city three hours ago, and we were due in for another location check any minute. My phone rand. I unclipped it from my gun belt and answered.

"Just in Ranger. Still in Atlantic City. South west corner. Not far from last known location. She will have had no sleep for forty eight hours, she can't keep it up much longer."

I disconnected.

"Looks like they're slowing down."

Tank nodded and gripped the steering wheel tighter. He and the whole team cared for Steph and wanted to see her back almost as much as me. Actually, no one came close to wanting her back as much as me. Nobody.


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: Violence, Adult themes, infrequent course language.

0 0 0

We drove through the night, the only breaks to the silence being the phone calls every three hours with location checks. The last two had reported the same location – the car hadn't moved for at least three hours. This sounded promising. That might be where she chose to stop for the night. Or they, I reminded myself.

We hit Atlantis City at two am and immediately headed towards the last known location. The city was dark, the moon's rays soft as silk, falling gently over the city lights as a few cars inched forward sluggishly in the early morning like their owners brains. Mine was clear and focused now, all lateness of the hour forgotten. Adrenalin was entering my bloodstream constantly in measured doses, keeping me going to the end. I stared out of the windscreen onto the dirty and pockmarked road where we rolled to a stop. Then I roused myself. She was potentially in the hands of a dangerous rapist. I couldn't afford lapses in concentration.

We gathered in the large interior of the Bronco for a briefing. Tank, Lester and Bobby were with me, as well as Hal and Woody.

"We don't know anything about the situation. She could be alone, or being held by the previous attacker. She may be badly injured or dead. No matter what, if she's alive, she's in danger and we have to get her out. Hal and Woody get the M14 sniper's and take up positions on surrounding buildings. Description and photographs of any assailants with her if possible. Take two radio's and tell us when you're in position. Tank, Bobby and Lester get suited up. Tank with me, Bobby and Lester on foot patrol."

They all nodded and began putting equipment together.

0 0 0

Ten minutes later everyone was in position and a call over the radio came from Woody.

"Target identified. Car parked in the alley on Smithson Avenue. Brown haired woman in the front seat, thin, about 5'10". Leaning against steering wheel potentially injured or deceased. Identifying male in passenger seat. Dark skin and hair, 6'7", wearing T-shirt and jeans. Conscious, sitting in passenger seat. Over."

I was sitting in the back of the Bronco a few streets away. That was definitely Steph but who was the dark skinned male? A photo flicked up on my phone from Bobby. Through the darkness I could make out a strong jawed man with a short buzz cut and distinctive slanted eyes. A thin scar ran diagonally across his eye just as Steph's now did. It was his mark. I recognised him at once. It was Laurie Higgs, famous for his lack of respect for women and his record nine charges of rape and sexual assault in one year. My heart went cold. This was more than dangerous for Steph now. This was life threatening. Then I pulled myself together again. It was now or never. And it had to be now.

With the help of Tank I suited up in new ballistics vests which hadn't yet reached the market and extreme combat gun belts. These more superior gun belts included tear gas, pepper spray, blanks, ammunition guns and stun gun holsters as well as taser's and Flash grenades. As wells as some other nasties. I pulled on my navy SEALS cap from the dash, as well as a new 4mm Glock automatic. Time to go. I relayed the plan to everyone as Tank and I walked to Smithson Street, giving Tank instructions as I walked.

"You sure Ranger? It could get messy out there."

I threw him a look and he turned to look at the road again.

"Affirmative. Alpha out."

"Understood. Beta out."

"Gamma and Delta out."

Ok. I slipped my gun into the waistline of my cargo pants at the small of my back and pressed my back to the corner of the street, then looked around it.

The street was deserted and quiet apart from the rear end of a silver Porsche showing in a small dark alley one hundred metres away.

"Your covered Ranger. Over"

"All clear?"

"Alpha clear."

"Beta clear."

"Gamma clear."

"Delta clear."

"Proceeding onto street. Out."

Without hesitating I stepped out into the street and immediately spotted movement next to the Porsche. A voice was projected over the open street.

"Lose the gun belt, the radio and the gun and holster on your left leg. Move slowly."

I did as I was instructed, careful not to expose the gun on my back. I laid the equipment on the street next to me and stepped away from it.

"Walk forward slowly."

I stepped forward in the dim light cast by the streetlamps, from darkness to light to darkness again. I was twenty metres away when the voice finally said "Stop". The streetlight next to the alley flickered on and the Porsche was thrown into sharp relief. He was leaning against the open driver's door, Steph's limp form obvious beside him. She was still slumped unmoving on the seat. My heart constricted in pain for her. The dull glint of a gun flashed I his hand, pointing at her head.

"'Ello Batman. What are you comin' round 'ere for? Come to save 'er pretty neck?"

I didn't answer, merely leaning against the streetlamp next to me and continuing to stare him down. My face was expressionless, the power of the anger inside me focusing my mind. I threw all the hatred into that look. I forced it deep into those cold eyes staring back at me. Power pulsed through my veins as I stood there. Just watching. And waiting.

His leer widened and her grabbed Stephanie's short curly brown hair and wrenched it hard so she fell half out of the seat to face me, his gun pressed to her temple. I nearly took an involuntary breath. She was beyond description. Bruises flowered across her entire torso, her legs looking as though they had been whipped, cuts and blood everywhere. The worst part was her arms. Long strips of skin had been hacked away, leaving a bloody and mangled mess. She had been skinned. Horror threatened to engulf me. How could he. How fuckin' could he. The horror was engulfed with rage a hundred times worse than the previous feeling. I calmly continued staring him in the eye, face impassive, eyes cold with restrained rage. I was feeling slightly detached, as if I was watching the scene instead of participating, the rage cutting off all other feeling. It burned and grew until it engulfed me and consumed me. For the first time, his grin faltered. He was looking slightly unsure, realising I was not going to be intimidated. Then his face hardened and the hand on the gun tightened. His slight grin changed to a grimace, his cold empty eyes alive with anger.

"One chance. Lay the gun on the ground in front of you. Step away from the girl and the car and lie on the ground, hands where I can see them."

Now he was grinning again, laughing derisively. The gun was pressed to her temple so hard it was bruising. Then as he shifted her slightly, her eyelids flickered. Her hand twitched. She was coming around.

"If you want pretty here back-"

"Enough." My voice rose just loud enough to drown his into submission. It was carefully controlled and relaxed, only the iciness betraying my true feelings.

"Last time. Gun down, away from the car, hands where I can see them."

Again he laughed derisively his face seemingly magnified in front of mine. He leered from Steph's face to mine. Then I saw the trigger finger begin to tighten.

"Shoot." I said quietly into the radio, concealed under my shirt.

Two gunshots cracked the still night air and they both fell to the ground with a spurt of scarlet covering everything. I stood there, still as ice. One of those bullets had hit their mark. Which one?


	14. Chapter 14

Tank, Bobby and Lester came out of the shadows a few seconds later, guns out and covering me. Bobby made hi way closer to Steph and Higgs while Tank handed me the gear I had been forced to leave behind. My mind was blank. What had happened. Was she ok. Was she alive? I needed to know. Desperation filled me and I noticed I was subconsciously holding my gun loosely in my hand. I let it drop to the ground. Nothing mattered if she was dead. My dream was coming true. I stepped forward slowly, then again, slowly making my way toward the pile of bodies on the ground. Bobby, Lester and Tank covering me in case Higgs was still mobile. His body was lying curled next to Steph's, blood spattering everywhere.

His eyes were bulging, his hands clutching the rapidly spreading bloodstain on his stomach. Bubbles of blood were forming at the corners of his mouth, than trickling down his chin. He was coughing, his gargling breaths filling the silence as he struggled to breathe. He was drowning in his own blood. His gun had landed a few metres away and Lester swiftly picked it up and emptied the chamber onto the road. Bobby patted Higgs down for further weapons, then beginning emergency resuscitation. But I had eyes only for Steph. She was definitely coming around now and as I crouched down painfully beside her, her eyes began to focus. Higgs had been sprawled next to her and she shook her head slightly, as if wondering where he had gone. She pushed herself painfully into a sitting position, biting her lip against the pain so hard that she drew blood. Then her eyes opened and focused on me, kneeling beside her. Her blue eyes were still crystal clear, but had lost their sparkle. Their life. She paused for a second, remembering what had happened and why I was beside her. Then her blue eyes filled with tears. We reached for each other at the same time, her arms encircling my neck and staying there as she rocked with grief and horror. I pulled her into me equally as tight, infinitely grateful she was finally safe in my arms. The soft night wind played over my face, ruffling her curls next to my cheeks. I gathered her into me as she sobbed.

"Ranger, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I'm-"

"Babe relax. It's ok – I've got you."

She squeezed me tightly, sobbing and shaking.

"I know Ranger."

After what seemed like hours her sobs subsided and she sat, just breathing unevenly in my arms, savouring our closeness. Her hand was enclosed in mine, her face buried in my neck; relaxed and for once, safe.

"I'm so sorry Ranger. I just-"

She curled smaller in my arms and I gently stroked her face, then tipped her chin towards me.

"Babe, you don't have to say it now. I know."

"I want to say it. I've needed to forever, just never had the courage. For a while back there – I thought I would never see you again."

She gulped, her eyes staying dry this time but her bloody lip quivering.

"So… So I have to say it now."

Her voice wavered for a second, whisper soft, playing across my face. Her blue eyes were clear and earnest, staring straight into my dark, closed ones.

"Ranger… I-"

THE END!


	15. Epilogue

We were reclining on the bed in my Rangeman apartment, Stephanie curled up beside me reading a book. I just watched her, revelling in my new found happiness. Her soft curls drifted gently onto her face, framing her bright eyes with newly restored sparkle. I reached over and gently brushed them back behind her ear, trailing my hand across her scarred cheek. She seemed not to notice the scars anymore; they became a part of her.

Her lips brushed my hand in thank you. Gently taking the book from her I pulled her into me, hugging her warm body closer feeling content and calm. Her hand was stroking my hair then face as I kissed her lightly.

""_So… So I have to say it now. Ranger…I…I love you"_

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys, thankyou all sooo much for reading my story and reviewing it – sending me messages and fav-ing it, It means everything to me to have my first story succeed like this – Its beyond my wildest dreams! Lol – about the epilogue! I was originally going to leave you with chapter 14.. but then I figured I'd tortured you so much during the story that you deserved closure on this one, so I wrote this little bit. In fact now I'm going to rewrite it.

**DISCLAIMER: Most characters represented in this story were created by Janet Evanovich (thanks Jan!), I merely borrow them for a little entertainment!**


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